I am a petite woman - 5’2" / 5’3", 120lbs, slim but strong. I’ve been surfing for 6 years and would say that I am an intermediate level surfer. I really want to get into nose riding, but don’t have the proper board for it. I’m wondering, what is the best board for someone of my size and ability? I would think that I shouldn’t get a board longer than 9’3" … but I’m not sure. I want a board that I can turn and maneuver, but something that’s still stable enough for me to nose ride. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
With skill you can nose ride just about any size board. A girl your size should be fine with something 8’6" to 9’. Just make sure you can get your arm around it! And if nose riding is what your after look for a nose rider board in that size, not a performance longboard made for bigger waves. Spoon nose, soft 50/50 rail, lots of curve in the rocker, singe fin, big square tail… all things I look for in a nose rider.
At your weight a 9’3 should do it… if it’s a noserider design. I’m a foot taller and 70 lbs heavier and noseride that same length. But I’m riding on little east coast peelers…
Thanks for the feedback! I thought that I wouldn’t want lots of curve in the rocker - I thought that less rocker was better for nose riding? Thanks for your help!
Thanks for the feedback! I thought that I wouldn't want lots of curve in the rocker - I thought that less rocker was better for nose riding? Thanks for your help!
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more in the tail, less in the nose. It's not just end numbers though, but rather lots of curve in the last foot and a half of the board. You should be able to get tip time on just about any board with your size though. Keep practicing and you'll get better. good luck
And that my friend would in fact be called a concave nose. A spoon as it was called traditionally was a flip in the nose much like an edge in a spoon. However neither are a must for a nose rider. Best noserider i ever had and still have is an 8'7" by Jim Phillips. It is a pretty much flat bottom in the nose sorta of a hull type actually. Big honkin glass on Fin which I think makes the deal.
Howzit ken,I think the spoon came before the step deck and it was not as extreme as a step deck. I think the first step decks I saw was the Greek Eliminator. My last real longboard was a Chuck Dent 9'6" step deck but I rode a greek a few times and liked the way it rode better than the Dent,next board was a 6'10" William Dennis and that board was magic.Aloha,Kokua
At your size you could noseride just about any thing in the right conditions. PM me and I'll be happy to give you(Nose Riding) lessons on a number of boards suited for you. ( - :
My wife is just a little heavier than you and I just made her an 9’2 23 3 low entry lots of kick in the back 1.5 foot of tail rocker. It has quite small rails and thats important for lighter girls. I however don’t do the nose concave I do A slight belly with a deep blended single in the nose. Thats just what I like though. Check out the tyler warren models. it has something similer. I am a very traditional log rider and proggresive longboarding makes me vomit. So i am build my LB’s for nose riding and big cutbacks.
once you start nose ridding you will figure out what you like. I like minimal rocker and a belly. Others like the boss or cheater style flex templates… others like just a standard nuuhiwa noserider. What ever style you choose you need to choose dimms accordingly and you also need to realize that nose riding is more technique and wave driven than anything else, I can nose ride my 9’2" spoon in good waves, but i can nose ride my 10’0" in ankle high mush. I would look into what spot are you going to surf the board at most and then choose the board that is right for the average conditions at that spot. If you were going to surf sano all of the you shouldnt get a malibu style nose rider, and vice versa.
9’ - 9’4" long, around 22" wide (WP center or a couple of inches back), 14" tail (square, round pin, diamond, whatever), nose not wider than 17", thickness around 2 3/4" - 2 7/8".
Now here’s the catch: low entry rocker with no breaks (smooth and continuous) until the last 1 1/2’ where it will get a “kick tail”. Rails, go for 50/50 but thin enough for your weight and turn them up in the tail.
Bottom, I like flat forward to a slight belly or vee out the back, don’t believe concave is as essential as good rails, rocker and a big fin. You can go for a fin box so you can try on different fins until you get one that is a good balance between turning ability and hold (something 9" long, maybe a greenough fin).
Finally glassing: at least double 6 oz top and bottom, opaque resin of your favorite color (something that brings a smile to your face) and gloss and polish. A heavy lam I believe helps make a board stable. Leash: drill through box or no leash if you feel comfortable with that.
I am not a shaper, have just shaped 1 board but I have surfed a lot of nose riders and one of my primary surfing partners is also a light weight girl who loves high performance longboards and can noseride the hell out of one. The board I am describing is more of a “traditional” log and that is what I recommend for classic style longboarding.
Watch a lot of DVD’s : old Bruce Brown films, or new movies featuring Alex Knost and Belinda Baggs. Noseriding is about technique, you need to do a good smooth cross step after positioning the board in the curl. Check out the articles on this site, especially Tom Wegener’s: http://noseriding.com/
Good Luck!
